"What happened to you girl?"

After days of slow travelling Clarissa arrives to town, taking a detour to the black-snake inn. She felt like she could find comfort in Josie.

"I lost him... he's dead."

Josie's face softens. Seeing she had guests this time around, she ushers Clarissa into her room where they have privacy. The woman's face looks as gloomy as they come, even more gloomy than Vixen whenever he saw Astaroth and Clarissa together.

Her already thin figure seemed to have gotten even thinner. This worried Josie, she had the kitchen cook up a meal for the grieving lady.

"So what the hell happened?"

"The crow disease."

"I'm sorry for you dear. Want anything to eat? You look sickly."

Clarissa shakes her head. "I have no appetite."

"Then let me rephrase. You need to eat, you look like you'll die of starvation. I'll have food for you in a bit, you aren't going anywhere without eating."

"Whenever I try to eat I remember how he would foam in the mouth like an animal during his last days. I can't."

"Well shit." Josie scratches her pink nose. "What am I going to do for you. Girl you'll die this way, is that what he would've wanted? If you made it all the way here for some reason then I'm assuming it's because you want to live."

"I do. But it's hard."

"'course it is. I feel sorry for you, but you need to tough it up. Give yourself time to grieve your man, and get back out there."

They look at each other in silence for some time.

"So what brings you all the way here?"

"I'm going to see the princess?"

"The princess? Why?"

Clarissa turns her face away, unable to answer.

"You're planning to do something stupid aren't you?"

She doesn't reply.

"Go home Clarissa."

"Where's home?"

"Stop being foolish and stubborn, go back to Orias' castle. You can stay here for a few nights, but go home. You aren't going to see the princess."

"I will."

Josie's ears twitch. "I'm saying this because I care about you. You saved my children's lives. Go. Home."

They're interrupted by a few knocks on the door. "The food you had prepared is ready."

"Bring it all in."

The door opens and rats enter bringing all types of food, much like what Peter would prepare during mealtimes. The food at the inn smelled and looked slightly different. Peter's is probably better, Clarissa thinks.

They place the food down onto a circular shaped, empty table at the center of the room and leave. Josie thanks them and turns her attention back to Clarissa.

"Eat."

"I can't."

"I said eat."

The rat forks a slice of ham and puts it onto a plate, cutting a small piece and lifting the fork up to the woman's mouth. "Open."

She reluctantly obeys, opening her mouth and accepting the ham. Clarissa chews languidly, and swallows.

"We'll do this slow." Josie repeats the process until the slice is finished. It seems to have drained the woman. "Come on girl, we're far from done here even if it'll take all night. Got any favorites or preferences?"

"I eat anything."

"Good. I don't like picky eaters."

This time, Josie takes a bit of everything, and a bowl for soup. "You allergic to anything?"

"Not that I know of."

It turned into a rather long night of Josie feeding Clarissa, until the rat grew sleepy. Clarissa got her own room to stay in, the same one she stayed in the first time she came here. The same rock hard bed, walls that seemed moldier than last, and floors that creaked. It didn't really matter, she couldn't sleep.

Her eyebags were dark, eyes red. She looked like some vampire. Occasionally she'd manage to sleep when her body just passed out to exhaustion. It made her trip longer than it should've been because of that. Leave Orias' castle was like taking a trip of her nightmares.

Last she left it was with Astaroth.

Last she was here was with Astaroth. She'd been with him always for the past year, now having lost him felt like a terrifying feeling. It feels as bad as when she lost Peanut, worst even.

Maybe because she has no target for revenge. Can one even fight pathogens? Perhaps she be reincarnated as a while blood cell or something.

"I need to leave now." She mumbles, unable to keep still in bed.

Clarissa sneaks out of the inn, too easy. No one is up at night, no one watching. A thief could easily break in at night but there wouldn't be much to steal other than food. Josie hides her money well.

For a seasoned assassin it was an easy trip to the castle, and getting into the castle. For a grieving woman, not so much. Clarissa's memory of walking these grounds with Astaroth made it hard for her to keep her head straight as she approached the castle.

She ended up getting caught by guards in night watch, stripped of her things, and in chains.

"Clarissa Wains, breaking into the castle at night to... Let me guess, kill the princess again right? You won't be escaping your death penalty this time." The same guard she met during Orias' engagement party held onto her wrists.

"Take me to Freya. Let her kill me herself."

"Still have something up your sleeve mouse? I already stripped you of all your weapons. A magic user perhaps? But your magic wouldn't work in these cuffs either."

"Take me to her." Clarissa glares at the bigger woman, but there was barely any light outside for the guard to see the look on Clarissa's face.

"Fine. I'm sure the princess will love to do the honors herself."

The guard pushes Clarissa forward, and they start walking. A long, tedious walk for a person with barely any strength to stomach food and little sleep. The silence with this woman was uncomfortable too, Clarissa just wanted to close her eyes and be done with it.

They finally make it to the princess' chambers.

"Princess? I have a gift for you." The guard's voice is loud, waking up the nearby guards that stood there half asleep and useless. She proceeds to knock.

After a few minutes, the doors open to reveal a puffy eyed princess. Resting on her bed is a lady writhing in pain, Clarissa winces, remembering Astaroth. Crow disease.

"Say anything to my father about her and I will have your head cho—" Freya looks at Clarissa's shivering figure, and grimaces. "A gift you said?"

"A gift for you, my princess."

"Better than all my birthday presents. Leave her with me, and lend me your sword."

The guard pushes Clarissa inside, and hands the princess her sword, even sharper than last it was swung at the assassin. The doors close behind Clarissa, and she gulps. Her eyes glued on the person on the bed.

"What happened to you Clarissa? You look a little different than last I saw you. Did you fight with your boyfriend?"

"He... Died. To the crow disease."

Freya frowns. "No wonder you keep staring at her. That's Eka, my girlfriend. A very nice woman unlike me. If she could talk right now she'd be telling me to spare you."

"I don't want to be spared."

"Of course you do." The princess lifts the sword up, the edge of the blade touching Clarissa's chin. "You killed my past life, Clarissa. Yet somehow you're here. So I want to here the story of how you died."

"I was an assassin, I killed many people."

"I can tell. Perhaps if I got to keep my face you wouldn't even remember who I am. So how'd you die?"

"Why does it matter? Just kill me."

"Rinoa Yue. Remember her?"

Clarissa's eyes widen. She felt the need to say something, apologize. Explain her mistake. Would that make things better? It won't bring Astaroth back, but is it worth much to tell her the truth?

"Oh? Looks like you do remember." Freya pulls the sword back, takes a breath and lifts it up to swing again. "This is for Rinoa."

The sword slices through Clarissa's neck. Her body falls limp and the head rolls.